Qatar The 2023 Asian Cup opening ceremony with the theme "The Lost Chapter of Kelileh and Demneh" ended after 25 minutes, with a message of support for Palestine from the host.
Host Qatar staged the opening ceremony with two main purposes, first with artistic performances to introduce the country's traditions, and finally with a little time to support Palestine. The ceremony lasted about 25 minutes, shorter than the 2022 World Cup, and did not incorporate many technological effects.
A view of Lusail Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar on January 12, 2023. Photo: Scores Arabic
The opening ceremony also did not have as many screams from the audience as at the 2022 World Cup, while the stands also had many empty seats compared to the capacity of nearly 89,000 spectators. The most prominent technology on stage was four large moving screens shaped like a miniature Lusail Stadium, placed side by side. The limitation of the program was that the performances were entirely in Arabic, without English translation.
A model of the Cup appeared on the field during the opening ceremony on the evening of January 12. Photo: Lam Thoa
After the performances dedicated to the host country and the Asian Cup, the organizers arranged programs for Palestine. First was the oath-taking of the captains of Qatar (Hassan Al-Haydos) and Palestine (Musab Al-Batat). Qatar's opponent in the opening match was Lebanon, but Al-Batat appeared as a gesture of support from the host country to the country suffering from the war in Gaza. At the end of the program, a female artist wearing a traditional white Arab abaya sang part of the Palestinian national anthem.
The Asian Cup is an Asian football tournament for national teams, taking place from January 12 to February 10, 2024 in Qatar, with 24 teams participating, divided into six groups of four teams each. The teams play a round-robin, calculating points, selecting the top two teams in each group, and the four third-placed teams with the best records to enter the round of 16 for a direct elimination match. The total prize money is up to 14.8 million USD, of which the champion receives 5 million USD, unchanged from the previous edition. The participating teams receive at least 200,000 USD.
Opening ceremony summary.
The tournament will feature 51 matches across nine stadiums, including seven that hosted teams at the 2022 World Cup. A total of 6,000 volunteers have been deployed to support delegations and visitors to the tournament. More than 900,000 tickets have been sold as of January 10, with the majority of them from Qatar, India, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the Philippines and Indonesia. The 2023 Asian Cup will be televised in a record 160 countries.
Vietnam is participating in the tournament for the third time, in Group D with Japan, Iraq and Indonesia. Coach Philippe Troussier and his team will play Japan on January 14, then Indonesia on January 19, both in Doha. In the final round on January 24, the team will meet Iraq in Al Rayyan.
Quang Dung - Xuan Binh
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